Falling In Love With Pin Strips and Forget-Me-Nots
by Cookies-and-Ink
Summary: After diagnosing Mr Percy Weasley with a life-altering condition Healer Audrey Green takes it upon herself to do all that she can to help him. As the months of treatment go on and her feelings for him change Audrey can only try and remain professional whilst hoping that bouquet of flowers did mean something else.


**A/N: This was written for The Secret Challenge with the prompt 'You character has lost one of his/her senses'. It's also entered in the 'Weasley Wizard Wheezes Competition' for the _Love Potion_ category (write a romance) and the 'If You Dare' challenge with the prompt _'_Funny you should say that.'**

**Falling In Love With Pin Stripes And Forget-Me-Nots**

He was sat in the waiting room perfectly on time, dressed as he always was in a three piece pinstriped suit. His back was rim rod straight, expression a mixture of apprehensive and casual curiosity as he watched three young children arguing, one suddenly grabbing the other by the hair causing a mother to rush over and sharply reprimand them all.

Audrey studied his profile for a brief moment and then moved to his line of sight, giving him a slight wave. A look of relief passed over his face as he stood and crossed the room, following her down the corridor.

Over the past half a year Mr Weasley had been in and out of St Mungo's and specifically her ward and yet she had never seen him relaxed. The consummate professional he always called her by her full title and asked more questions than any other patient she had had before although to his credit they were rarely ones that shouldn't have been asked.

"It's good to see you're not nervous Mr Weasley" she said lightly noting the slight buoyance in his step and he looked down at her with a small shrug.

"I can't think of anything to be nervous about Healer Green. I've felt none of the possible side effects and the knowledge that you yourself did the operation two weeks ago makes me certain there will be nothing amiss."

He had always been perfectly confident in her, something Audrey hadn't understood since the first day they met she had completely been misinformed and thought him to a patient suffering from a chronic case of severe hiccups, resulting in a very confusing conversation for both of them until Audrey guessed what had happened and diagnosed him herself.

The results had made her come over faint at the time and Mr Weasley had forced her to sit on the bed and drink some water, as though she were the one who was potentially going to go blind and deaf not he. She had drawn herself together as best she could and explained what she had found.

His response had been simple.

"I was recently part of the resistance in the Battle of Hogwarts and was caught in an explosion, I think that may be the cause or may have at least aggravated my symptoms. Now Healer Green, can anything be done to slow the process or am I likely to lose my sight and hearing soon?"

He had been completely calm which in turn allowed her to gather her thoughts and she had explained that they could slow the magic which was battling with his own, destroying nerves and neuron pathways as a consequence. That had been their first course of action and Mr Weasley had had to come in every three days for re-examination and various different tablets and potions as well as over an hour of spells being cast on him, each day attempting to stop the unstoppable. They had talked briefly, him in his three piece pinstriped suit with a different tie every appointment, her in her dark blue scrubs watching him lose senses, going through a hell she couldn't imagine. She had learnt about his family and their tragedies through the course of the war, how he had started seeing a therapist at the request of his brother George, how his sister in law was newly pregnant and his Mother had gone into overdrive steadily driving them all mad.

His wit was dry and he never failed to make her smile until she began to look forward to their appointments like no other patient. She also couldn't deny it to herself, tall with well chiselled features and deep blue eyes Percy Weasley was certainly handsome to say the least. Several of the nurses had made several altogether inappropriate comments which Audrey had swiftly crushed, wondering in secret whether it was true that Mr Weasley did often frequent _that_ part of town due to his fantasy with control and handcuffs.

After talking with him more Audrey was sure it wasn't true, Mr Weasley had never been anything but a gentleman to her and yet she couldn't dissuade a certain fantasy involving her in a leather corset and stilettos, a barely clothed Percy tying her to his bedposts with satin ribbons.

It was enough to make her blush an entirely unattractive dark red so she quickly stopped daydreaming, focussing on the here and now.

Mr Weasley had come for what would be his last appointment for some time, or so they were hoping. Audrey thought the last part reluctantly, she knew he was a patient and that she should be happy her experimental theories and surgery may have finally worked but there was a voice in the back of her mind reminding her of how much she was going to miss the way he made her laugh.

He knew the way around the hospital easily now and she smiled to herself, watching him give a slight nod to the other doctors and nurses on the ward who had gotten used to seeing him regularly, each of them congratulating him broadly as they went past.

"I don't know why they're congratulating me" he said to her, a crease between his eyes as he frowned. "It was your idea and you were the one who designed the surgery and the spells, I was just the lucky recipient."

"The guinea pig." she said with a wry grin which made him laugh slightly.

"I prefer the way I phrased it."

"They have congratulated me, the ones that were brave enough anyway. I was only doing my job Mr Weasley and I don't really want any accolades or a party thrown. I'd rather just get on with whatever the next thing to come through my door."

She felt his eyes on her and tried to keep her cool.

"Healer Green to say I admire your work ethic does not even come close to expressing all that I want too. It is so rare I meet another who thinks like I although I do not think I would turn away from a possible Order of Merlin if it were offered to me, if the rumours are true."

She looked at her from the corner of her eye, eyebrows raised.

"You've been listening to the nurses gossip again Mr Weasley. I wouldn't turn down an Order of Merlin either if only for the funding it would give my research. I was offered a certificate however I think my walls are much too busy as it is."

He laughed, a rare occurrence and she grinned with a wink. Months before she had devised a surgery to try and save all that she could of his senses. It had been dangerous and getting permission had been a battle hard fought and yet as the day neared instead of seeming nervous or once more asking a barrage of questions he merely brought an abstract painting, telling her firmly that he was sick of staring at the bare walls of her office during various consultations. She had protested but only slightly, the painting was beautiful and each time she stared at it she was sure she could see something different.

No one had ever done something so considerate before although Mr Weasley had firmly assured her the gift was for selfish reasons on his part, to preserve his sanity he had said.

The nurses hadn't stopped giggling every time they saw it and when the bouquet of flowers had come two weeks ago after the operation had been a success she could hardly bear the rumours going around, particularly because they were hardly true. He had sent her a small bunch of deep blue forget-me-not's surrounded by snowdrops and honeysuckle. Flowers and their meanings was something every pureblood witch had engrained in them but she was sure Mr Weasley had not known he had sent her flowers symbolising true love, deep affection and loyalty.

He was simply a patient and one that was grateful for her care.

The bouquet were sitting in pride place on her desk in the best vase she could find, all perfectly pristine still and she had caught herself staring, wondering thoughts she shouldn't let herself.

He perched on the end of the examination bed and they ran through spells and tests which had fast become routine. The results were much better than had first assumed. He would be permanently deaf in his left ear, there was little that could be done about that but his right ear was perfect and his sight was cured to the point where he didn't need glasses. One of her mad gambles had finally paid off.

Audrey couldn't help the grin spread across her face as Mr Weasley raised an eyebrow with a small grin.

"So surprised? Of all the people to trust your own handiwork surely it should have been you."

"Still, it's nice to have a confirmation. Everything is perfectly healthy Mr Weasley and there are a number of different things we can do with regards to your left ear. I recall you mentioning your brother had hopes of developing a prototype hearing aid based on the muggle devices?"

Mr Weasley nodded, spreading his hands slightly as he explained his brother George's ideas. She tried to pay attention, she really did but kept getting distracted by his hands as he gesticulated until she had to sharply remind herself she was Healer not some googly eyed apprentice who could fawn over all the cute patients that came through the door.

"I'd really like to help your brother with his theories, if he'd be willing to collaborate I could come and meet him or alternatively he meet him here. I'm sure you could give him directions."

Mr Weasley smiled and nodded his head. "George would probably love an extra hand and given your knowledge on the subject and me in particular I have no doubt you'd both be a force to be reckoned with."

"Funny you should say that, breaking boundaries and inventing things which are apparently impossible are something of a forte of mine." Audrey said, rejoicing as he laughed once more.

"Truly Healer Green, by helping me retain all that is normal in my life you saved my life. Your care and attention has been invaluable, the measures you went to help my parents understand what has happening to me and giving my brother a project to focus on too, never mind the experimental procedure which may have put your working career in jeopardy, I simply cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for me Audrey."

It was the first time he'd ever said her first name and she met his eyes, shocked. He took a breath and then placed his hand on top of her eyes and inwardly cursing herself for her being so girlish she felt her cheeks colour as she turned her hand over, entwining her fingers with his.

"It was a pleasure Percy."


End file.
